O’Fallon restaurant opens, another coming soon to Belleville, plus Halloween fun
Now open at O’Fallon’s former O’Town Food Hall site is Yummy Bowl Mongolian Stir-Fry & Sushi.
The eatery opened just before Labor Day weekend and serves Asian fare that includes stir-fry bowls, sushi, sashimi, ramen and Korean fried chicken.
Menu offerings include 31 regular sushi rolls, 18 special rolls, 18 nigiri sushi and sashimi options and six different ramens. Stir-fry lo mein, stir-fry udon and fried rice are all available with chicken, beef or shrimp.
With the stir-fry bowls, choose from among 12 protein options and 13 sauces. Diners can select a classic stir-fry bowl or build their own bowl. A classic bowl comes with one selected protein cooked with broccoli, onion, mushrooms, carrot, zucchini and steamed rice. Build-your-own bowls come with the proteins and veggies of your choosing. Either way, don’t be shy with the sauce.
Sushi lunch specials, served with miso soup or salad, are available from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Sushi/Sashimi (raw fish) lunch specials are also available.
Dessert is also available and includes New York cheesecake, tempura cheesecake, fried ice cream, mochi ice cream (strawberry or mango) and fried Oreo.
Yummy Bowl Mongolian Stir-Fry & Sushi is located at 1214 Central Park Drive in O’Fallon.
Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call the O’Fallon location at 618-206-6156 or visit the website at eatyummybowl.com.
Get ready for Halloween
A clear sign that Halloween season has arrived is the opening of Spirit Halloween stores in the area.
This year, the metro-east has three sources of scary (as well as wholesome, pop-cultural and other fun themes) costumes, props, décor and other goodies.
Spirit Halloween has pop-up locations in Fairview Heights at 10865 Lincoln Trail (former Joann Fabrics) and 17 Plaza Drive, Suite 17-A (former Golf Galaxy), and one store returns to 3675 Nameoki Road in Granite City.
The stores constantly stock and restock merchandise throughout the time they’re open. After deciding which fun T-shirt from the wall display to add to my wardrobe this year, I realized that my choice was not yet on the shelves. A staff member encouraged me to stop in regularly to check, as employees spend the majority of their time unpacking boxes of goods and stocking shelves.
The retailer’s website lists the hours for all three stores at 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. However, the hours posted on-site at the Lincoln Trail store are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Hours may change at each store as Halloween gets closer. Stores usually stay open a day or two after Halloween.
For online shopping, coupons and other info, visit spirithalloween.com.
Restaurant coming to former Tony’s Tacos site
There’s a new development at the former Tony’s Tacos site on Route 15 in Belleville.
A reader alerted me to some new signage at 1550 E. State Route 15. A new restaurant, El Jacal Mexican Restaurant, has taken up residence at the location.
An application was submitted to the city by Saul Marquez Cruz for a special use permit for a Class A-2 liquor license. According to Eric Schauster, Belleville’s assistant director of economic development, planning and zoning, the request will go before the city council at the Sept. 15 meeting.
The restaurant’s Facebook page was created in early August, but no posts have been made.
A request for an interview sent via the social media account is pending. More info will be reported as it becomes available.
This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
